Jelly-like foods

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to jelly-like foods with an elastic skin accounting for 55-88 percent of the total weight with a pasty or liquid core which contains 1.5 to 6 wt/vol% of a polysaccharide which is thermally gelable in a concentration not lower than 1 percent (weight/volume) suspension, and mainly consists of Beta -1,3-pyranoglucose units and which have a bulk accomodated in the space of a cube 5-30 millimeters on edge. The present invention also relates to a method of producing the above-jelly-like foods.

United States Patent [1 1 Kimura et al.

[451 Sept. 23, 1975 JELLY-LIKE FOODS [75] Inventors: Hiroshi Kimura, Kyoto; Kensuke Kusakabe, Osaka; Sliigehiko Sato, Tokyo; Hiromi Nakatani, Kyoto, all of Japan a [73] Assignee: Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd.,

Osaka, Japan [22] Filed: Mar. 4, 1974 [2]] Appl. No.: 448,048

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 200,577, Nov. 19, 1971,

abandoned.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 21, 1970 Japan 45-103090 [52] US. Cl. 426/578; 426/573 [51] Int. GL i. A23L l/04 [58] Field of Search 426/167, 168, 169, 350

[56] References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,191,352 2/1940 Oprean 426/91 7/1946 Peschardt 426/169 2/1970 Ryan et al 426/l67 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Production of a Firm Resilient Gel-Forming Polysaccharide by aMutant of Alcaligenes faecalis myxogenes l0c3 'Agr. Biol. Chem. Vol. 30, No. 2, 196-198, 1966;

Primary Examiner Louis A. Monacell Assistant ExaminerJ. M. Hunter Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack 57] 3 ABSTRACT The present invention relates to jelly-like foods with an elastic skin accounting for 55-88 percent of the total weight with a pasty or liquid core which contains 1.5 to 6 wt/vol of a polysaccharide which is thermally gelable in a concentration not lower than 1 percent (weight/volume) suspension, and mainly consists of B-l,3-pyrarioglucose units and which have a bulk accomodated in the space of a cube 5-30 millimeters on edge. The present invention also relates to a method of producing the above-jelly-like foods.

4 Claims, N0 Drawings JELLY-LIKE FOODS This is a continuation application of application Ser. No. 200,577, filed Nov. 19, 1971, now abandoned.

This invention relates to jelly-like foods which have an elastic gel skin and a method for producing them.

The term jelly-like foods as used throughout this specification as well as claims means the foods whose skin or shell is composed of an elastic transparent or opaque gel and whose core is either composed of a liquid or paste, such as the juicy pulp of a grape, or a void as will be formed upon removal of the above liquid core. Examplary jelly foods include fruit jellies and milk jellies of the above structure, as well as a sherbet contained in a shell of jelly.

Heretofore, such gelling agents as gelatin, pectin, agar, etc. have been generally used in commercial jellylike foods, and those gelling agents are characterized in that, if dissolved in water under heating and, then cooled, they form gels. Those gels are generally homogeneous, with their firmness and elasticity being uniform throughout. There are, however, certain serious disadvantages. Gelatin, for instance, must be dealt with at somewhat low temperatures, for gelatin gel has a relatively low melting point. At high temperature, e.'g. under boiling conditions, gelatin is thermally denatured -so that the important property of gelability is lost. In

addition, gelatin hardly gels when an acidic substance such as fruit juice is added.

In case of employing pectin, it is necessary to add fruit juices, sugar, etc. in such proportions as will provide a suitable pectin-sugar-acid ratio. Agar is'disadvantageous in that it does not gel under acidic conditions. Thus, the conventional gelling agents including gelatin, pectin and agar have various disadvantages which detract from their applicability. In addition, those gelling agents gel uniformly throughout so that, with those agents, it is extremely difficult to accomplish the object of this invention effectively and positively. In line with the recent change in dietary habits, the demand for jelly-like foods has remarkably expanded and, moreover, a trend toward upgrading is noted. Under those circumstances, the present inventors conducted an extensive study and have found that a certain polysaccharides which are thermally gelable in a concentration of not lower than I percent (weight/volume) take the place of the above-mentioned gelling agents, and are favorably applicable to jelly-like foods having an elastic gel skin. The present invention is a culmination of the above findings.

Thus, the present invention relates to jelly-like foods with an elastic skin accounting for 55 to 88 percent of the total weight and with a pasty .or liquid core; the

foods essentially contain a 1.5 to 6 (weight/volume) of a polysaccharide which is thermally gelable in a concentration of not lower than 1% (weight/volume) suspension and mainly consists of B-l,3-pyranoglucose :units; and the foods have a bulk accomodated in the space of a cube to 30 millimeters on edge; and the production thereof.

Production of Polysaccharide The thermally gelable polysaccharides mentioned above can be obtained, for instance, by cultivating a microoganism belonging to the genus Alcaligenes or A grobacterium in a mediumcontaining glucose as a carbon source, and are recovered therefrom as a white or off-white powder in a dehydrated and dried form. Glu

an absorption characteristic of B-linkage at 890 cm cose is the main constitutent sugar of the polysaccharide, and, in infrared analysis, the powders exhibit properties characteristic of a polysaccharide and have In addition, the polysaccharides exhibit very unique behaviors.

Thus, they swell and gel when poured in water and heated. For example, when suspended in water to a concentration of about 1 percent and heated, these polysaccharides form a gel which is thermally irreversible and not suspended upon the addition of water. The gel strength of the polysaccharides is between 470 X 10 to 1,300 X 10 dyne/cm when measured under the following conditions: A 2.0 g. sample is made up with pure water to ml. and homogenized by means of a mixer for 5 minutes. The resulting suspension is transferred to a test tube of 15 mm, in diameter, which is degased to remove bubbles under a reduced pressure of not higher than 10 mmI-Ig, followed by heating in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Then, it is cooled with a cold water for '10 minutes and allowed to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. 'The gel is taken out from the tube and cut into 1.0 cm thick disc, with the uppermost layer being discarded. The pressure resistance of the gel disc against the cylinder (5.6 mm. in diameter) of curd-tension meter just before the cylinder breaks into the disc is measured and recorded in terms of a dyne scale. The resistance value recorded is taken as the gel strength of the specimen.

The microorganisms of the genus Alcaligenes which are capable of producing the indicated polysaccharides include, for example, Alcaligenes faecalis var myxogenes NTK-u (ATCC 21680), a mutant strain which is obtained upon treatment of parent strain K with N- methyI-N-nitro-N-nitro-soguanidine, (a strain capable of producing polysaccharide PS-B) and Alcaligenes faeculis var myxogenes K (a strain capable of producing polysaccharide Curdlan. See Agricultural Biological Chemistry, vol 30, pages 196 et seq. (1966) by Harada et al.). The pertinent microorganisms of the genus Agrobacterium include such strains as ATCC 21679 and [PO 13127 which have been identified as Agrobacterium radiobacter and capable of producing polysaccharide PS-A. IFO denotes the deposit number at the Institute for Fermentation, Osaka, Japan.

For the production of objective polysaccharides, these microorganisms are incubated in a medium which contains assimilable carbon sources (e.g. glucose, sucrose, sorbitol, dextrin, starch hydrolyzates, organic acids) digestible nitrogen sources (e.g. inorganic ammonium salts, nitrates, organic nitrogen sources such as yeast extract, corn steep liquor, corn gluten, soy bean meal) inorganic salts (e.g. salts of manganese, iron, magnesium, calcium, zinc, cobalt). If desired, such trace growth promoters as vitaminaceous materials, nucleic acid-related compounds and so forth may be incorporated in the culture medium. In case of cultivation of said strain NTK-u, it is necessary to incorporate 50 to 1,000 mcg/ml of uracil in the medium.

Although the preferred cultural conditions vary with different microorganisms employed, cultivation of the main culture for the production of said polysaccharides is generally effected at pH about 5 to 8 at a temperature of 20 to 35C for 2 to 4 days, using such cultivation means as shake culture or submerged culture.

As the polysaccharides thus produced usually occur predominantly extracellularly, advantage may be taken, in order to recover them, of a combination of techniques which are per se known means for separation and purification of polysaccharides. By way of illustration, there may be employed such techniques as dissolution, filtration, precipitation (e.g. by neutralization, salting out or the like), desalting (e.g. by permselective dialysis, reverse deionization or the like), liquidsolid separation (e.g. by compression, centrifugation or the like), drying (e.g. by spray drying, lyophilization or the like), powdering etc.

Some examples for the production of polysaccharides are shown below.

EXAMPLE A-l A loopful of a slant culture of Agrobacterium radiobacter (lFO-l3 127) is inoculated in 30 ml. of an aqueous culture medium charged in a 200 ml.-flask, the medium being composed of glucose (5%), (Nl-l HPO (0.1%), yeast extract (0.5%), KH PO (0.1%), MgSO '7H O (0.05%), FeSO -7H O (0.005%), MnSO 7H O (0.002%), ZnCl (0.001%), CoCl (0.001%) and water and being adjusted at pH 7.2. Cultivation is effected under shaking at 28C for 4 days.

The resulting viscous broth is centrifuged at 10,000 rpm. for 20 minutes to separate a sediment from a supernatant liquid. To the sediment is added an aqueous 0.5N-NaOH solution, followed by thorough stirring to completely dissolve the polysaccharide portion of the sediment. The solution is then centrifuged again at 10,000 rpm. for 20 minutes to remove the cells. The solution is neutralized with a 12% aqueous HCl solution, whereupon the desired polysaccharide separates out as a gel. This gel fraction is collected by centrifugation at 2,000 rpm. for minutes, and washed twice or three times with water, followed by dehydration with acetone and drying, to give 420 mg. of PS-A.

On the other hand, to the supernatant obtained by centrifugation of the culture broth is added its 4-fold volume of acetone. The resulting precipitates are collected and dried to give 120 mg. of polysaccharide PS-A Specific rotation:

17 i 3 (C 1.0, dimethylsulfoxide) +33 6 (C 1.0, 0.1NNaOl-l) Elementary analysis Calculated for C H O C=44.44; H=6. 17. Found: C=43.28 i 1%; H=6.20 i 0.5; N=0.00. gel strength: 650 X 10 to 1,300 X 10 dyne/cm EXAMPLE A-2 Alcaligenes faecalis var. myxogenes Strain NTK-u (ATCC 21680) is inoculated in 30 ml. ofa seed culture medium charged in a 200 ml.-Erlenmyer flask, the medium being composed of glucose (1.0%), (Nl-LQ HPQ, (0.15%), KH PO (0.1%), MgSO '7l-l O (0.05%), Fe- SO -7H O (0.005%), MnSO -7H O (0.002%), ZnCl (0.001%), CoCl (0.001%), yeast extract (0.1%), CaCO (0.3%), uracil (0.01%) and water and being adjusted at pH 7.0. Cultivation is effected under shaking at 32C for 24 hours.

A 2 ml.-portion of the resultant seed culture broth is inoculated in 20 ml. of a main culture medium charged in a 200 ml.-creased Erlenmyer flask, the medium being composed of glucose (10.0%), (NH l-IPO (0.23%), KH PO, (0.1%), MgSO '7I-I O (0.05%), Fe- SO '7H O (0.005%), MnSO '7l-l- O (0.002%), ZnCl (0.001%), CoCl (0.001%), CaCo (0.3%), uracil (0.01%) and water and being adjusted at pH 7.0. Cultivation is carried out under shaking at 32C for hours.

The broths thus obtained in several such flasks are pooled. To 80 ml. of the broth is added 240 ml. of an aqueous 0.5N-NaOH solution, followed by thorough stirring until the produced polysaccharide is dissolved. To the mixture is added ml. of water. The diluted solution is centrifuged at 12,000 rpm. for 10 minutes to remove the solid matters including the cells. The supernatant liquid is neutralized with a 3N-l-1Cl, whereupon gel sediments separate. The sediments are collected by centrifugation and washed with water until the salts contained therein are removed. Then, the sediments are again centrifuged to collect the desired polysaccharide PS-B. Dehydration with acetone and drying under reduced pressure yield 4.4 g. of PS-B. The yield relative to the substrate glucose is 55 percent.

Specific rotation:

16+ (C=0.5, dimethylsulfoxide) +31i6 (C=l.0, 0.1NNaOH) Elementary analysis Calculated for C H O C=44.44; 1-I=6.l7. Found: C=43.58- l; H=6.46i0.5; N=0.00 gel strength: 650 X 10 to 1,300 X 10 dyne/cm EXAMPLE A-3 Alcaligenesfaecalis var. nzyxogenes K is cultivated in the same manner as in Example A-1 and the resulting broth is centrifuged. To thus obtained sediment is added an aqueous 0.5NNaOH solution to dissolve the polysaccharide portion of the sediment. The solution is neutralized, whereupon the polysaccharide curdlan separates out.

Specific rotation:

-18 (0.1N NaOl-l) Elementary analysis C 43.55; H 6.05; O 48.39; N and other minor components 2.01 gel strength: 470 X 10 to 500 X 10 dyne/cm The gel strength in Examples A-l to A-3 was measured as mentioned before.

Conditions for the production of jelly-like foods In the present invention, said polysaccharides are diluted or dispersed and suspended to a concentration of 1.5 to 6 percent. (weight/volume). In this connection, it should be borne in mind that when the concentration is either less than 1.5 or above 6 percent, the object of this invention cannot be accomplished effectively and positively (See Experiment 5). These polysaccharides suspensions are convenient, for there is no need to pay much attention to pH. Thus, since the gelling property of the polysaccharides are available over an unusually wide pH range, i.e. between pH about 2.0 and pH about 9.5, it can be utilized with little trouble for ordinary food processing purposes. In the method of this invention, it is generally convenient to dilute or disperse and suspend the polysaccharides with water, but depending upon cases, it is possible to use water-containing alcohol or propylene glycol. It is also possible to cause the polysaccharides to gel after adding thereto additives as, for example, natural sweetners such as sucrose, glucose fructose, etc; artificial sweetening s such as saccharin; sour agents such as citric acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, etc.; suitable spicesycondiments; and other natural matters and food additives such as sorbitor, dextrin,

Of course, the heating time should be longer when the heating temperature is comparatively low and, conversely, the heating time may be short when the heating temperature is high.

millet jelly, milk, fermented milk, vitamins, starch, al- 5 The cooling of the gel may be suitably effected. Thus coholic beverages, natural fruit juices and the like. when the heating time is comparatively long, the gel The above mentioned suspensions are then mainmay be allowed to cool at room temperature. tained in a mold accomodated in the space of a cube In the method of this invention, after the preparation 5 to 30 millimeters on edge, when it is to be coagulated of a product having a liquid core, it may be made holinto a sphere, in a mold having a diameter of 5 to 30 10 low by removing the internal liquid in a suitable manmillimeters. In this connection, a suitable shape, such ner and the void thus created may be filled in with a difas a sphere, ellipsoid, cube, strawberry-like shape or ferent liquid food. 1 tomato-like shape, may be chosen. In any event, what Since the jelly obtained from the thermally coagulais necessary is to maintain the polysaccharide in a ble polysaccharides is intrinsically highly stable against molding vessel which allows the polysaccharides to be freezing and thawing, it is Possible to freeze h jelly kept in the space of a cube 5 to 30 millimeters on edge. thus produced In a in nn r t tain a quality With regard to molding vessel in which the poly ice confection contained in an elastic gel skin. charides are to be maintained, vessels made of various he method of this invention is of considerable commaterials, such as metals (e.g. gun metal, aluminum, r ial value to the industry. etc.), plastics, glass and rubber, may be effectively utilized. It should be noticed, however, that, as will be Experiment I seen from Experiment 2, even when vessels of a g ven 1- Testing procedure size are employed, the proper heating time varies with ive grams of thermally gelable polysaccharide PS-B different vessel materials. As to the mode of heating,

was suspended in 100 ml. of water, and 5.6 g. of the reany heating method can be employed, only if it enables sulting suspension was filled into spherical glass vessels, the entire molding vessel to be externally uniformly h d F l h l b l h t d 19 millimeters in diameter. The vessels were then f; 1 or g 6 y s. 3 gif y ea 6 f heated under-the varying conditions set forth in Table m a 01 mg wa a or m y ea e y means. 0 l and cooled. For each of the samples thus obtained, an oven, or the like. It should also be understood that,

i, the gelling ratio was determined. The heating was conas will be seen from the experimental data given hereinducted in a water bath when the heating temperature after, the ob ect of the invention cannot effectively be a h d h f th f was 100 C or less, in an oil bath when the temperature g j f 6 d i g lameterl 0 a was 1 10C or higher. It was so arranged that the vessels Sp enca 9 an er 655 t m1. f f mg?! were externally evenly heated. The gelling ratio is the than 30 millimeters. The ob ect of the invention will A v 35 weight ratio of the gelled portion of each sample to the not be effectively accomplished, either, if the heating t t 1 th 60C or h th unheated suspension used for the preparation of the 3355 15 6] er Ower an 1g er an sample. When the ratio corresponds to about 55 to 88 weight percent, the product is a jelly-like food suitable Thus the matnal of the moldmg vessel 1? Slze of for the present purposes. Sucha product has an elastic the gel, the heating temperature, the composition and 40 gel skin and a liquid or pasty core concentration of the suspension and other conditions should be sufficiently taken into consideration and, as I aforesaid, one should maintain 1.5 to 6 percent suspen- 2, R l sion of the present polysaccharide in a mold ac- The results of'the test are set forth in Table 1. It will comodated in the space of a cube 5 to 30 millimeters be seen that when the heating temperature is 59C or on edge, then externally heating the mold at 60 to less, the polysaccharide does not gel at all but merely 120C for about 5 to 300 seconds and finally cooling forms a slurry.v Conversely, at temperatures above the same. The above external heating conditions are as 120C, even if the suspension is previously sufficiently such considered to account for the heating conditions defoamed, the gel inevitably foams. Therefore, those inside the vessels in view of experiments 1, 3 and 4 conditions cannot be adopted in any event. where th am heat COIIdiIiOIlS, mely, external heat- Thus, heatingltemperatures suitable for the present ing at 60 t 120C for 5 to 300 Seconds, so prove to urposes are limited to the range of 60 to 120C, since be proper for the purpose of the present in ention. n as aforesaid, the proper gelling ratio for the present these experiments the glass vessel is so thin that th purposes is about to 88 percent, suitable conditions heat conductivity and the difference in temperature be- 55 are about 140 to 180 seconds at C; about 60 to 100 tween inner and outer walls of the vessel are almost seconds at C; about 40 to seconds at 80C; about negligible. After all, it is desirable to ensure that the gel 40 to 60 Seconds at C; about 10 to 40 seconds at Skin will account for about 55 to 88 percent Of the total C; about 10 seconds at l 10C and about 5 to lo weight of the product. seconds at C.

Heating Temperature ("C) Heating Time (seconds) 60 70 80 90 100 no l20* Table Continued Heating Temperature (C) Heating Time (seconds) 60 70 80 90 100 1 I 120 Note: An oil bath was used.

Experiment 2 2. Test results The test results are set forth in Table 2. It will be seen that there are different suitable heating times for different vessel materials even if the vessels are of the same size. Incidentally, a heating time of 270 to 320 seconds was required in the case of a molding vessel of rubber, 30 millimeters in diameter.

Table 2 Shape of molding vessel (Spherical) Suitable heating time Nov Material Diameter (mm) (in seconds) 1 Gun metal 19 40 55 2 Aluminum l9 l0 l 3 Glass 19 25 40 4 Plastic 19 230 280 5 Rubber( bladder) 30 170 320 Note: The plastic used above is a heat-resistant resin.

Experiment 3 1. Testing procedure A 6% aqueous suspension of thermally gelable polysaccharide PS-B was previously prepared and filled into glass molding vessels which would give spherical jelly products of the sizes indicated in Table 3. The vessels were heated in a steam kettle at 95 to 100C and cooled.

The heating times were investigated which are suitable for the production of satisfactory products which feature a gelling ratio of about 55-88 weight and which have an elastic gel skin and a pasty core.

2. Test results The results of the above test are set forth in Table 3. It is evident that, in the case of spherical jelly products, suitable heating times increase as the products gain in volume. It is also clear that when the diameter of products is less than 5 millimeters, it is technically difficult to accomplish the object of this invention and that,

conversely, if the diameter is greater than 30 millime ters, the resulting gel will tend to collapse. Thus, the proper range is 5 to 30 millimeters.

Table 3 Diameter of Suitable heating time No. jelly product (m.m) (in seconds) 1 3 Technically difficult 2 5 3 l0 8 12 4 19 35 45 5 25 90 1 1O 6 30 180 200 7 36 330 370 Whereas product No. 7 was brittle and improper, products No. 2 to 6 were elastic and proper.

Experiment 4 1. Testing procedure This experiment was carried out in the same conditions as in Experiment 1 except for the diameter of the glass vessels being 30 millimeters in diameter.

2. Results Gelling ratio is set forth in Table 4. The heating temperature which accounted for about 55 to 88 percent was about 220 to 300 seconds at C, about 160 to 240 seconds at C, about 140 to 220 seconds at C, about 120 to 200 seconds at C, about 80 to 200 seconds at C, about 40 to 140 seconds at l 10C and about 20 to 100 seconds at 120C, respectively.

Table 4 Heating Temperature (C) Heating time (seconds) 50 70 80 90 100 I20 Table 4 Cntinued Heating Temp erature Heating time (seconds) 50 70 80 90 100 110 120 Experiment 5 elastic gel skin and a liquid core. This jelly balls are re- 1. Testing procedures The indicated thermally gelable polysaccharide was made into 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0 and 7.5 percent suspensions in water, and those aqueous suspensions were filled into molding vessels of gun metal, 19 millimeters in diameter. The vessels were heated in asteam kettle at 95-l0OC for 50 seconds and cooled to preparejelly samples, each of which had a gel skin and a liquid or pasty core. A sensory test was conducted by the ranking method using a panel of 20 experts.

2. Test results The results of the above test are set forth in Table 5. It will be seen that whereas the samples obtained from the 3.0 and 4.5 percent suspensions were superior and most liked, the sample corresponding to the 7.5 percent suspension was significantly disliked at a 1 percent level. Thus, the panelists replied that the 7.5 percent sample was either coarse, unpalatable or unlike a food. It is therefore considered that the upper concentration limit should be 6 percent. On the other hand, when the concentration is lower than 1.5 percent, the jelly product which has a liquid core cannot retain its shape. Therefore, it is clear that the effective concentration range is from 1.5 to 6 percent.

Table 5 Sample 1.5% 3.0% 4.5% 6.0% 7.5%

Sum of ranks 58 45 48 69 80" Note 1. denotes a 1 7: level of significance (according to A. Kramer's table) 2. Reference: A. Kramer Food Technology vol. 17

EXAMPLE B-l 100C for about 60 seconds. Then, the vessels are immediately cooled in running water. The above procedure yields about 1000 g. of jelly balls which have an sistant against g. weight plummet when measured by curd-tension meter.

EXAMPLE B-2 Twenty grams of polysaccharide PS-B, 500 g. of sucrose, 8 g. of citric acid, 2 g. of sodium citrate, suitable amounts of food color and flavor and 650 ml. of water are admixed and homogenized using a homogenizer.

The resulting mixture is filled into-spherical molding vessels of a plastic material, 20 mm in diameter, and externally uniformly heated by steaming at about C for about 5 minutes. Then, the vessels are immediately cooled in running water. The above procedure yields about 1,100 g. of jelly balls which have an elastic gel skin and a liquid core.

EXAMPLE B-3 Fifty grams of polysaccharide PS-B, 250 ml. of a concentrated fruit juice and 750 ml. of water are evenly blended. The resulting suspension is filled into spherical molding vessels of gun metal, 19 mm in diameter, and externally evenly h ated by steaming at about 100C for about 30 seconds, immediately followed by cooling in running water. The above procedure yields about 1,000 g. of jelly balls which have an elastic gel skin and a liquid core.

EXAMPLE B-4 A suspension prepared in the manner described in Example 3 is maintained in rubber bladders in such a manner that jelly balls, 30 mm in diameter, will be obtained. The bladders are hermetically closed and heated in a boiling water bath for about 280 seconds, immediately followed by cooling in running water. The above procedure yields about 1,000 g. of jelly balls which have an elastic gel skin and a liquid core.

EXAMPLE B-S Fifty grams of polysaccharide PS-B, 300 g. of sucrose, a suitable amount of vanila flavor and 1000 ml. of milk are admixed and homogenized using a homogenizer. The resulting suspension is filled into spherical molding vessels of gun metal, 19 mm in diameter, and externally heated in a boiling water bath at about 100C for about 60 seconds, immediately followed by cooling in running water. The procedure yields about 1,200 g. of jelly balls which have an elastic gel skin and a liquid core.

When the above jelly balls are frozen in the routine manner, the internal liquid is frozen to readily provide excellent ice confections having an elastic gel skin.

EXAMPLE B-6 Fifty grams of polysaccharide PS-B, 300 g. of sucrose, 300 ml. of brandy and 500 ml. of water are admixed and homogenized using a homogenizer. The resuiting mixture is filled into spherical molding vessels of gun metal, 19 mm in diameter, and externally evenly heated by steaming at about 100C for about 45 seconds, immediately followed by cooling in running water. The procedure yields about 1100 g. of jelly balls which have an elastic gel skin and a liquid core of brandy.

EXAMPLE B-7 formly heated by steaming at about 100C for about 100 seconds. Then, the vessels are immediately cooled in running water. The above procedure yields about 1,000 g. of jelly balls which have an elastic gel skin, liquid core and are resistant against 80 g. weight plummet when measured by curd-tension meter.

EXAMPLE B-8 In the same manner as in Example 1, except for polysaccharide employed being curdlan, jelly balls are prepared which are resistant against 50 g. weight plummet when measured by curd-tension meter. I

What we claim is:

1. A method for producing jelly-like foods with an elastic gel skin and with a pasty or liquid core, which comprises; maintaining a 1.5 to 6 percent (weight- /volume) suspension of a thermally gelable polysaccharide which mainly consists of B-1,3-pyranoglucose units, in a mold having a volume that could be accommodated in the space of a cube 5 to 30 millimeters on edge; externally heating the mold at a temperature in the range of 60 to 120C for about 5 to 300 seconds; and cooling the mold.

2. Jelly-like foods with an elastic skin accounting for 55 to percent of the total weight and with a pasty or liquid core; which essentially contains a 1.5 to 6 percent (weight/volume) of a thermally gelable polysaccharide mainly consisting of B-l,3-pyranoglucose units, and which have a bulk that could be accommodated in the space of a cube 5 to 30 millimeters on edge.

' 3. A jelly-like food according to claim 2, namely jelly balls with an elastic gel skin and a liquid core.

4. A jelly-like food according to claim 3, said food being in frozen form. 

1. A METHOD FOR PRODUCING JELLY-LIKE FOODS WITH AN ELASTIC GEL SKIN AND WITH A PASTRY OR LIQUID CORE, WHICH COMPRISES, MAINTAINING A 1.5 TO 6 PERCENT (WEIGHT/VOLUME) SUSPENSION OF A THERMALLY GELABLE POLYSACCHARIDE WHICH MAINLY CONSISTS OF B-1, 3-PYRANOGLUCOSE UNITS IN A MOLD HAVING A VOLUME THAT COULD BE ACCOMMODATED IN THE SPACE OF A CUBE 5 TO 30 MILLIMETERS ON EDGE, EXTERNALLY HEATING THE MOLS AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 60* TO 120* FOR ABOUT 5 TO 300 SECONDS, AND COOLING THE MOLD.
 2. Jelly-like foods with an elastic skin accounting for 55 to 85 percent of the total weight and with a pasty or liquid core; which essentially contains a 1.5 to 6 percent (weight/volume) of a thermally gelable polysaccharide mainly consisting of Beta -1, 3-pyranoglucose units, and which have a bulk that could be accommodated in the space of a cube 5 to 30 millimeters on edge.
 3. A jelly-like food according to claim 2, namely jelly balls with an elastic gel skin and a liquid core.
 4. A jelly-like food according to claim 3, said food being in frozen form. 